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Koniflex
}} The Koniflex is a 6×6 TLR produced by Konishiroku in the early 1950s. Description The Koniflex is slightly unusual in its 85mm lenses (rather than the customary 75–80mm). The View Hexar viewing lens is f/3.0 (and, thanks to a condenser, the screen is fairly bright); the taking lens is a Hexanon f/3.5 with five elements in three groups, said to be similar in design and characteristics to the Voigtländer Heliar.Heliar comparison: Nakajima. The entire lens assembly moves in order to focus. One can focus "beyond infinity" in order to retract the lens assembly further within the body; this not only saves some space but also locks the shutter. (When focusing, there is a tangible "click" as one passes the infinity setting, so there is little or no danger of accidentally misfocusing.) The shutter is a Seikosha-Rapid (B, 1–400). The Koniflex uses semi-automatic film advance (unusually, for either 120 or 620 film); you align the start mark against two red dots, close the back, and use a knob on the right"Left" and "right" in this discussion are from the point of view of the photographer taking a photograph. to wind until winding stops as "1" appears in a small window on the left; after cocking and firing the shutter (below and to below and to the left of the taking lens respectively), you press the button within the wind knob, release it, and wind on till stopped as "2" appears in the window — and so forth. An accessory shoe is on the left. The finder hood contains a large magnifying glass and the front of the hood can be flipped out of the way to create a sports finder. Evolution The original Koniflex (sometimes referred to as Koniflex I) was released at the end of 1952. It has a Kodak-style flash terminal. Its dimensions when closed are 145(H)×98(W)×104(D) mm., and it weighs 960g; it takes 39.5mm screw or 40.5mm push-on filters.Hagiya, p.128 of Miryoku saihakken: Nigan refu. It was priced at ¥47,000, unusually high for a TLR. Minor improvements were made in mid-1955: baffles to cut internal reflections, a double exposure lock (with override at the front centre of the left-hand side), and an improved catch to hold the back closed. The flash terminal is now PC. (This camera is now often referred to as the Koniflex II; Konishiroku did not call it this at the time, and the nameplates of both versions simply say KONIFLEX.) With the release of the improved version, the price of the original was dropped to ¥41,500.Miyazaki, p.134. Later examples of this improved version had further refinements to the finder.The cut-out in the front of the finder hood — the front when erected; the top of the hood when closed — is slightly smaller, and the area outside the cut-out is also covered with leather. Miyazaki, pp.134–5. A small number of the later Koniflex models was exported to north America and sold, as a Tele-Koniflex, together with an attachment lens set. The taking lens is a Hexanon 135/4.5; the viewing lens a View Tele-Hexar 135/4. The lens set has the same serial number as the body for which it was intended.Miyazaki, p.135. (The attachment lenses were first displayed in October 1954 in an exhibition of future products held by the company in three department stores in Tokyo.) Hagiya, p.130 of Sekai no Raika renzu. He says that "two types of interchangeable lenses for the Koniflex" were exhibited, presumably corresponding to the taking and viewing attachments. The Koniflex was the only 6×6 TLR that Konishiroku ever sold. (It had created a prototype Sakura-flex in 1939.) Stock of the Koniflex ran out in 1958, by which time its price had sunk to ¥32,000. Total production was less than 13,000.Miyazaki, p.135. Konishiroku used the name Koniflex-35 for a prototype 35mm SLR that it completed in 1957 but that it never put into production:Konika-Minoruta-ten, p.25. the first SLR it would market would be the Konica F. Notes Sources / further reading * Items 516–7. (See also the advertisement for item 514.) * Hagiya Takeshi (萩谷剛). "Koniflex I" (コニフレックスI). In Miryoku saihakken: Nigan refu: Firumu kamera ha e no messēji (魅力再発見・二眼レフ：フィルムカメラ派へのメッセージ, Fascination rediscovery: TLRs: A message to film cameras). Tokyo: Shashinkogyo Syuppansha, 2006. Pp.128–9. * Hagiya Takeshi (萩谷剛). "Hexanon 50mm F1.9". In Sekai no Raika renzu (世界のライカレンズ, Leica lenses of the world) Part 1. Tokyo: Shashinkogyo Syuppan-sha, 2003. ISBN 4-87956-061-8. Pp.130–1. * Konika-Minoruta-ten (コニカミノルタ展, Konica Minolta exhibition). Exhibition catalogue. Tokyo: JCII Camera Museum, 2005. * Miyazaki Shigemoto (宮崎繁幹). Konika kamera no 50nen: Konika I-gata kara Hekisā RF e (コニカカメラの50年：コニカI型からヘキサーRFへ, Fifty years of Konica cameras: From the Konica I to the Hexar RF). Tokyo: Asahi Sonorama, 2003. ISBN 4-257-12038-X * Nakajima Akitoshi (中島章年). "Koniflex" (コニフレックス). P.107. * Ozaki Sankichi (尾崎三吉). Konifurekkusu no tsukaikata (コニフレックスの使い方, How to use the Koniflex). Tokyo: Amico, 1953. * Watakushi no ni-gan-refu kamera-ten (私の二眼レフカメラ展, Exhibition of twin lens reflex cameras). Tokyo: JCII Camera Museum, 1992. (Exhibition catalogue, no ISBN number.) P.29. Links In English: * Sample photos (and one more) by the Koniflex II, by Takasaki Motohiro In Japanese: * Koniflex and Koniflex II in the Camera database of the Center of the History of Japanese Industrial Technology * Koniflex II CLA at Takasaki Motohiro's Shiroto shashinki shūri kōbō * Koniflex II from Kawamasu Camera * Koniflex and Koniflex II from Kitamura * Koniflex II at TLR Milestone * Koniflex I and Koniflex II at Konica Minolta's camera history * Koniflex at Classic Camera Beginners' Club * Koniflex at Nagoya's Camera Club * Koniflex at Shashin wo tanoshimu Category:Japanese 6x6 TLR Category:Konica Category:K